Aston Villa in talks with Morgan Rogers over a new contract as Tottenham Hotspur circle
Tottenham have made significant changes both on and off the pitch, laying a strong foundation for Thomas Frank to build upon. The Lilywhites currently sit third in the Premier League, having won five of their opening nine matches in the competition. They remain within touching distance of league leaders Arsenal and are unbeaten in Europe so far this season.
The early signs are promising for Frank as he aims to guide the North London club to success on multiple fronts. However, there are still a few glaring issues within the squad that need to be addressed if Spurs are to close the gap on their rivals as the campaign progresses. Chief among them is finding a suitable replacement for James Maddison in January and adding more depth in the No. 10 position.
So far, Lucas Bergvall and Xavi Simons have been deployed in that role to connect midfield with attack. Bergvall has performed admirably in Maddison’s absence but still shows limitations in the final third. Simons, on the other hand, has struggled to adapt at N17 and has yet to prove he deserves a consistent place in Thomas Frank’s starting eleven.
Tottenham unlikely to land Morgan Rogers in January
Tottenham were interested in signing Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers during the summer as they searched for an ideal long-term replacement for Maddison. The Lilywhites were impressed by the England international’s performances in the Premier League, and Frank was reportedly eager to bring the talented attacker to North London. However, Rogers decided to remain at Villa Park and continue his development under Unai Emery.
Now, fresh reports have once again linked the 23-year-old with a move to Spurs as the club look to strengthen their attacking options in January. Thomas Frank wants to build on last season’s Europa League success and is keen for Tottenham to bring in top-quality reinforcements when the window opens.
Fabrizio Romano has now provided the latest update on Rogers’ transfer stance as we slowly approach the January window. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said,
“They have started negotiations with Morgan Rogers over a new deal. Talks are ongoing over new contract. It’s early stages at the moment. It’s going to take some time to negotiate, to discuss, to understand the numbers of this contract.”
The journalist added,
“But negotiations are ongoing. This is happening because Tottenham were prepared to spend crazy money on Rogers. But again, Villa said ‘no chance, we are not selling him.’”
According to Romano, Aston Villa have begun contract talks with Rogers as they look to secure his long-term future. Unai Emery views the England international as a key part of his project and has no intention of letting him leave midway through the season. Romano also confirmed that Villa started discussions shortly after rejecting Tottenham’s ‘crazy money’ bid in the summer.
Given the latest developments, a move to N17 in January now seems highly unlikely. Tottenham may therefore need to shift their focus to alternative targets if they wish to bring in a new attacking midfielder. The Lilywhites have also been strongly linked with AS Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, and a deal for the Frenchman could be more feasible as he remains open to a move to the Premier League.
